Thursday, April 27, 2017

Hadeeth: The two matters that rectify the Ummah and the two that destroy it

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

Allaah تعالى said:

﴿ذَرْهُمْ يَأْكُلُوا وَيَتَمَتَّعُوا وَيُلْهِهِمُ الْأَمَلُ ۖ فَسَوْفَ يَعْلَمُونَ﴾

{Leave them to eat and enjoy, and let them be preoccupied with (false) hope. They will come to know!}
[Surah al-Hijr (15): 3]


The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
The first part of this Ummah was rectified[1] through al-Zuhd (asceticism)[2] and al-Yaqeen (firm Faith)[3], and its destruction will be because of al-Bukhl (niggardliness)[4] and al-Amal (false hope)[5]. 

[al-Zuhd of Imaam Ahmad, al-Tabaraanee in al-Awsat (7650), Al-Baihaqee in Shu`ab al-Imaan (10045, 10351), and graded as “Hasan li Ghairihee” by Shaikh al-Albaanee in al-Saheehah (3427) and in Saheeh al-Targheeb (3215, 3339), and in Saheeh al-Jaami` (3845)]


In another narration the wordings are:
The first part of this Ummah was saved because of al-Yaqeen (firm faith) and al-Zuhd (asceticism) and that which will destroy its last part are al-Bukhl (niggardliness) and al-Amal (false hope).

[Ibn Abee al-Dunyaa in al-Yaqeen (3) and in Qasr al-Amal (20) and graded as “Hasan li Ghairihee” by Shaikh al-Albaanee in al-Saheehah (7/1264-1265) and in Saheeh al-Targheeb (3340), and in Saheeh al-Jaami` (6746)]



[1] Imaam Maalik رحمه الله said:
Nothing will rectify the last part of this Ummah except that which rectified its first part.
[Related by al-Qaadhee `Iyaadh in ash-Shifaa’ (2/676), Majmoo` al-Fataawa of Ibn Taymiyyah (1/231, 241, 353]


[2] The definition of Asceticism (al-Zuhd الزهد)

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
Renounce the world and Allaah will love you, and renounce what the people possess and the people will love you.
[Sunan Ibn Maajah (4102) and graded as “Saheeh” by Shaikh al-Albaanee]

Ibn al-Qayyim رحمه الله said:
It is not Zuhd that you let go of the Dunya (worldly desires) from your hands while it still lingers in your heart. Zuhd is to let it go from your heart while it is still in your hands.
[Tareeq al-Hijratain (1/252)]


To attain al-Zuhd one has to first shun the sins:

Yahya Ibn Mu`aadh used to say:
I am not instructing you to (completely) forsake the Dunya (worldly pleasures); but I only instruct you to abandon the sins. Forsaking the Dunya is Fadheelah (graciousness or doing more than what is obligatory), while abandoning the sins is Fareedhah (an obligation). For you are in a greater need of fulfilling the obligations (as they have precedence over) fulfilling that which is optional.
[Sifatul-Safwah (2/297)]


[3] The definition of Al-Yaqeen (Certainty): Certainty is the opposite of doubt (al-Shakk). Certainty is to have complete surety and firm belief in the Six Articles of Faith (Faith in Allaah, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers, The Resurrection on the Day of Judgment, and the Qadr – the good of it and the bad of it). Certainty is to have perfect knowledge, after which there is no room for doubt or suspicion in the heart. Any kind of doubt about these Six Articles of Faith is Kufr.

The evidence of al-Yaqeen is in the saying of Allaah تعالى:

﴿ إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِاللَّـهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَرْتَابُوا وَجَاهَدُوا بِأَمْوَالِهِمْ وَأَنفُسِهِمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّـهِ ۚ أُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الصَّادِقُونَ

{Only those are the believers who have believed in Allaah and His Messenger, and afterward doubt not but strive with their wealth and their lives for the Cause of Allaah. Those! They are the truthful.}
[Surah al-Hujurat (49):15]

Allaah made certainty, without doubt or suspicions, a condition of true belief.


[4] The definition of Al-Bukhl (miserliness, niggardliness): Shaikh Ibn al-`Uthaymeen رحمه الله said (paraphrased):
Niggardliness is to not spend on what has been made obligatory upon him by Allaah or on things that are necessary, even though he has the ability.
[Sharh Riyaadh al-Saaliheen (3/410)]

Allaah تعالى described the miser as the one whose hands are tied to his neck:

﴿وَلَا تَجْعَلْ يَدَكَ مَغْلُولَةً إِلَىٰ عُنُقِكَ وَلَا تَبْسُطْهَا كُلَّ الْبَسْطِ فَتَقْعُدَ مَلُومًا مَّحْسُورًا﴾

{And let not your hand be tied (like a miser) to your neck, nor overextend it (like a spendthrift), so that you become blameworthy and in severe poverty} [Surah al-Israa’ (17): 29]

Niggardliness leads to destruction, as Allaah تعال said:

﴿وَأَمَّا مَن بَخِلَ وَاسْتَغْنَىٰ * وَكَذَّبَ بِالْحُسْنَىٰ * فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْعُسْرَىٰ﴾

{But he who is greedy miser and thinks himself self-sufficient; And gives the lie to Al-Husna (best reward); We will ease his (path) towards difficulty.}
[Surah al-Layl (92): 8-10]

Meaning: Things which are easy for others will be made difficult for such a person.

And also:

﴿هَا أَنتُمْ هَـٰؤُلَاءِ تُدْعَوْنَ لِتُنفِقُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّـهِ فَمِنكُم مَّن يَبْخَلُ ۖ وَمَن يَبْخَلْ فَإِنَّمَا يَبْخَلُ عَن نَّفْسِهِ ۚ وَاللَّـهُ الْغَنِيُّ وَأَنتُمُ الْفُقَرَاءُ ۚ وَإِن تَتَوَلَّوْا يَسْتَبْدِلْ قَوْمًا غَيْرَكُمْ ثُمَّ لَا يَكُونُوا أَمْثَالَكُم﴾

{Behold! You are those who are called to spend in the Cause of Allaah, yet among you are some who are niggardly. And whoever is niggardly, it is only at the expense of his own-self. But Allaah is Rich (Free of all wants), and you (mankind) are poor. And if you turn away (from Islaam and the obedience of Allaah), He will exchange you for some other people, and they will not be your likes.}
[Surah Muhammad (47):15]

And the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
Every day two angels come down from Heaven and one of them says: ‘O Allaah! Compensate every person who spends in Your cause’, and the other (angel) says: ‘O Allaah! Destroy every miser.’
[Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (1442) and Saheeh Muslim (2205)]

One should not overspend like a spendthrift nor withhold like a miser, as Allaah تعال said:

﴿وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا أَنْفَقُوا لَمْ يُسْرِفُوا وَلَمْ يَقْتُرُوا وَكَانَ بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ قَوَامًا﴾

{And those, who, when they spend, are neither extravagant nor niggardly, but hold a medium (way) between those (extremes)} [Surah al-Furqaan (25): 67]

There are many Aayaat and Ahaadeeth which encourage one to give out in Charity. Sufficient to say is that throughout the Qur’aan Allaah تعالى mentioned the Salaah and Zakaah together.

Niggardliness is not limited to wealth only. One of the worst miser is he who does not send prayers upon the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم when his name is mentioned, because he neither has to spend any money or put much efforts, as the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

The stingy person is the one before whom I am mentioned, and he does not send Salat upon me.
[Sunan al-Tirmidhee (3546) and graded as “Saheeh” by Shaikh al-Albaanee]


[5] The definition of al-Amal (incessant Hope): Shaikh Ibn al-`Uthaymeen رحمه الله said (paraphrased):
The hope here is referring to the worldly matters; and it is not referring to the hope that one has in receiving the reward from Allaah for his righteous deeds.  In regards to worldly matters, one should not hope too much. How many people had high hopes and had made plans of doing such and such, but death came to them all of a sudden, their lives came to an end, and their hopes were cut off?!
[Sharh Riyaadh al-Saaliheen (3/437)]

Man’s life is short yet his hopes exceed beyond his life. Do not think that you are young, or you are healthy. Death can come to anyone at any time. Man knows that death is inevitable, yet his hopes are too much and too many.

Narrated Abu Hurairah: I heard Allaah’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم saying:
The heart of an old man remains young in two respects, i.e., his love for the world (its wealth, amusements and luxuries) and his incessant hope.
[Saheeh al-Bukhaaree ( 6420)]

Narrated Anas bin Maalik: Allaah’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
The son of Aadam (i.e. man) grows old and so also two (desires) grow old with him, i.e., love for wealth and (a wish for) a long life.
[Saheeh al-Bukhaaree ( 6421)]

In one of the Ahaadeeth, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم illustratively explained the span of man’s life and his high hopes, which can be read from the below mentioned link:


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